The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Freight Sustainability Summit (Summit), co-hosted by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), kicked off today highlighting the critical role that the goods movement sector plays in our nation’s economy, energy security and environment. The Summit will feature senior industry leaders, transportation experts, policymakers and other key stakeholders including: EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Gina McCarthy, EDF President Fred Krupp, Maritime Administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation David Matsuda, and former Governor of Kansas and current American Trucking Association President Bill Graves. Leaders in freight sustainability will share best practices, operational strategies, cutting edge technologies and other innovations that help integrate sustainability into transportation management and business practices.

EPA’s SmartWay program is "a critical program that shippers can leverage to increase their freight efficiency," said Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund. Krupp believes in "rolling up our sleeves to partner with business and civic leaders, finding ways to achieve real environmental improvements and grow a cleaner energy economy while saving money, creating jobs and improving public health. There's no better win win win solution."

The Summit will also pay homage to the highly successful EPA SmartWay program, a voluntary program started in 2004 within EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality designed to identify products and services that reduce transportation-related emissions. Since that time, more than 2,900 U.S. corporations, including virtually all the nation’s largest truck carriers, all Class I rail companies and many top Fortune 500 companies rely on SmartWay’s supply chain, accounting tools and methods. The SmartWay program signifies a partnership among government, business and consumers to protect our environment, reduce dependence on foreign oil and improve our air quality for future generations.

"The EPA SmartWay program has been an excellent partnership for RILA and our members," said Adam Siegel, Vice President of Sustainability and Retail Operations at RILA. "Through this public private partnership, retailers have been able to place fuel saving equipment and trucks on the road, while reducing their supply chains’ carbon footprint. The EPA has done a fantastic job driving the success of this important program and we look forward to continuing to promote SmartWay," concluded Siegel.

This two-day conference will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington DC. The first day of the event will focus on how the nation’s leading trucking and logistics firms, retailers, manufacturers, ports and non-governmental organizations are successfully integrating sustainability practices into their transportation and business operations. The second day will feature an EPA SmartWay Workshop that shows how this innovative public-private collaboration can help industry and the country save fuel and enhance the economy through new technologies and innovative strategies, tools and methods for carbon accounting and performance benchmarking.

"EPA’s SmartWay program is a model for how government and the private sector can come together and achieve mutually beneficial results”, said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Over the years, the program has facilitated the deployment of thousands of fuel-saving devices that reduce the amount of money our industry spends on fuel and lessens the impact of freight movement on the environment."

"EPA's SmartWay program is a strong example of how we can achieve economic and environmental goals through good partnerships and incentives" said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. "Working with EPA, SmartWay partners are finding ways to move goods cleaner and more efficiently across our nation. This helps businesses to cut costs, increase productivity, conserve energy, support job growth and protect the environment. The Freight Sustainability Summit provides an opportunity to share technology innovations and strategies that reduce emissions and improve efficiency, helping to move our nation toward a more sustainable future."

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation’s freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Good stuff. Trucks Bring It!

RILA is the trade association of the world's largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.